Imaging systems based on light waves are becoming more widely used for object detection as semiconductor processes have become faster to support such systems. Some imaging systems are capable of providing dozens of images per second, making such systems useful for object detection in changing environments. Due to their potentially small form factor and potentially high signal fidelity, some imaging systems are well suited for application in many types of vehicles (cars, busses, trains, aircraft, etc.). While the resolution of such imaging systems may vary, applications using these systems are able to take advantage of the speed of their operation.
A moving vehicle such as an automobile, for example, may use an imaging system to detect an object (a pedestrian, for example) in the path of the vehicle, to avoid hitting the object. For example, an imaging system may be employed on the front, rear, and/or the side(s) of the vehicle to detect objects in the forward or reverse paths of the vehicle, to the side of the vehicle, or in the blind spots of the vehicle.
However, in many cases, different imaging systems or different types of imaging systems are used for different applications (e.g., for different locations on the vehicle or for different detection functions), based on the configurations of the imaging systems. For example, a radar-based system may be used for long-range lower resolution monitoring, a 2D video system may be used for mid-range monitoring, and an ultra-sound system may be used for short-range monitoring as a parking or backing aid. In these and other cases, the systems used may be optimized for highest possible sensitivity (e.g., for longer-range uses) while sacrificing lateral and depth resolution, or optimized for best possible resolution (e.g., for shorter-range uses) while sacrificing sensitivity and operating range.